Image: Wikimedia Commons
Yonezawa Beef is a branded beef of Japanese Black cattle (Kuroge Washu) raised in the Oitama region of Yamagata Prefecture. It is ranked alongside Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef as one of Japan's Three Great Wagyu Brands, and is known as the only one of the three found in eastern Japan. Its history is said to begin in 1871 (Meiji 4), when Charles Henry Dallas, an Englishman invited to Yonezawa as a teacher at the domain school Kojokan, ate local beef out of nostalgia for his homeland. When Dallas completed his term in 1875, he brought one head of Yonezawa cattle back with him to the foreign settlement in Yokohama and served it to his acquaintances, whose favorable reaction made the beef's flavor a topic of conversation. Winning acclaim in Yokohama, a major beef-consuming city at the time, led Dallas to broker a connection between Yonezawa livestock dealers and Yokohama wholesalers, and the beef began to be sold under the name 'Yonezawa Beef.' This marked the start of its reputation spreading nationwide by a route different from that of Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef. Today, the Yonezawa Beef Brand Promotion Council certifies as 'Yonezawa Beef' only meat from nulliparous female Japanese Black cattle that are raised in the Oitama region, shipped at 33 months of age or older, and graded 3 or higher for meat quality, among other standards.
Origin
In 1871 (Meiji 4), Charles Henry Dallas, an Englishman invited to Yonezawa as a teacher at the domain school Kojokan, ate beef out of nostalgia for his homeland in a region where eating four-legged animals was not customary. This is considered the beginning of Yonezawa Beef as food. Dallas taught at Kojokan from 1871 to 1875 (Meiji 4 to 8).
History
In 1875, when his term ended, Dallas brought one head of cattle back to the foreign settlement in Yokohama as a gift and served it to his acquaintances, whose favorable reaction made its flavor a topic of conversation. Having won favor for the beef in Yokohama, a major beef-consuming city, Dallas brokered a connection between Yonezawa livestock dealers and Yokohama wholesalers and had it sold under the name 'Yonezawa Beef.' This is how it came to be known nationwide by a route different from that of Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef.
Features
Under the definition set by the Yonezawa Beef Brand Promotion Council, only meat from nulliparous female Japanese Black cattle raised in the Oitama region, shipped at 33 months of age or older, and graded 3 or higher for meat quality, among other standards, may be called 'Yonezawa Beef.' It is characterized by fine, even marbling, tender meat, and a refined sweetness in the fat that seems to melt in the mouth.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
As one of Japan's Three Great Wagyu Brands alongside Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef, Yonezawa Beef is enjoyed in many forms, including sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and steak, and Yonezawa City is home to numerous restaurants and specialty shops run directly by butcher shops. Since 1980, the 'Yonezawa Beef Festival' has been held every summer on the banks of the Matsukawa River, a popular outdoor event where visitors can enjoy sukiyaki made with Yonezawa Beef raised by local livestock farmers.
Famous Shops
米沢牛 登起波
山形県米沢市中央7丁目2-3
Founded in 1894 (Meiji 27), it is the oldest Yonezawa Beef specialty shop in Yonezawa City. The first floor is a butcher shop and the second floor a restaurant, known for its sukiyaki served with a miso-based sauce. Sukiyaki courses start at around 5,500 yen.
View details →扇屋牛肉店
山形県米沢市
A long-established butcher shop founded in 1948 (Showa 23). It finishes carefully selected Yonezawa Beef through its own low-temperature aging process and offers it at local prices, with the restaurant ミートピア on the second floor.
View details →| Yonezawa Beef Sukiyaki Gift Set | Sets of trimmings and loin cuts for sukiyaki and shabu-shabu, sold as gifts by various butcher shops. Products across a wide range of price points — from everyday home use to return gifts, Ochugen, and Oseibo — are also available through mail order. |
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FAQ
Q. Why is Yonezawa Beef called the only one of Japan's Three Great Wagyu Brands found in eastern Japan?
A. While Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef are branded beef from the Kinki region, Yonezawa Beef is raised in the Oitama region of Yamagata Prefecture, making it the only branded beef from eastern Japan counted among Japan's Three Great Wagyu Brands.